New Ulm weekly review., 1887-10-12
she had grasped more than I ever

guessed.
by degrees my little home became
the useful rendezvous Of all the family.
Ny hall was many a time filled with
forbidding. loo king females, all unsum.
moned by me. but ncome by appoint.
ment, to see Mrs Grey about the
cooks place, num-" and presently a
cab would pull up with q jerk and
my sister-in-law would hustle in, drop.
ping brown paper parcels from her
arms.
$50 sorry, dear, I had no time to
write,as baby's teeth bot othered him so,
but l knew yon wouldn't mind"
Hardly any Of the undesirable look
ing women ever answered; $50 the same
ceremony was repeated many q time.
Ibid not mind the women SO much,
but the out-of.place men servants, j
own, were q trial to me. Frenchmen,
Italians, Germans, Irishmen, all and
sundry. They stood in rows, block
ing up my little hall, and had been
summoned by my niece Edith, to whom
her mother had in most cases thrown
the Morning Post" and heap Of
half penny cards, saying, write to
any likely ones, and tell them to meet
me tomorrow. Aunt Hannah won't
mind, and baby wants me now
That little trouble, however, was
put an end to in this wise. One OF the
men turned out to have been anotori-
Gus burglar, and an attempt was made
on my house, which failed, owing to
the promptitude with which Ailsie had
struck a light in the basement, whilst
the footman locked himself securely in
the pantry.
Robert was very kind about this,
and peremptorily forbade any more
appointments OF the kind being made.
He would see all men servants at his
own club in the future.
So my life flowed evenly on for a
year or two, and my nephews and
nieces came and went, and my doors
flew open to them heartily.
aunt Hannah" said Bobby one
day, as herushed in laden with an enor-
nous hamper, "you won't mind this
standing here just while I'm having
luncheon, will you? It's only a badg-
er a fellow has given me to take home.
It's awfully jolly if you'd like to have
it out"
''No, thanks" answered, with my
pocket handkerchief to my nose; "we
can stand the hamper down in the
area. 1t isn'texactly sweet, you know,
Bobby"
''Not sweet! Why it's only a badger,
and | can't stay long, because my
train goes at 3, don't you know"
"But where's Tin?" / asked, look
ing beyond him to the empty ham
som.
''Oh! by-the-by, / forgot" he an
swered promptly. "Tim's sickening
for the measles, they think, so moth-
er thought he had better not, go home;
but.as they won't keep him at the old
Blazers" he continued, as he flung
himself cheerily into an armchair in
the sitting room, che is to follow by
the next train, and mother wrote
that she was sure you wouldn't t mind
II he came straight to you, but was
to ask you, don't you know"
Here / burst out laughing, and Bob
by looked critically but approvingly
at me, with both hands on his knees.
II say, Aunt Hannah" he blurted
out, ''Im never sure about you.
Sometimes I think you are seventy,
and sometimes you look seventeen;
that's what you look now. don't
believe you're half as old-maiiish as
the girls think you.'
"Thank you, Bobby" Isaid, kissing
his Jolly fat cheek; 81 don't feel like
seventy yet, and what dear old
boy you will be when am! But now
about Tim. I was going to have a
party tonight, and measles won't
do well with that"
But it had to do, in as much as there
was no time to put off anybody, and
"the party got as far as my closed
door, where they were met by an affa-
BILE policeman, on duty for the pur-
pose at five shillings for the lob, who
informed them with bated breath tnat
"there was h'lnfection in the 'ouse, !"
and the grinding wheels were all
that heard of my guests for q long
while afterward.
One OF them, wishing to combine
kindness and caution, sent me a note
ofinquiry.
Dear Hannah-How is your neph-
ew? but please, dear. don send an an
swer'
Tim was dear fellow and did not
catch the measles. He, too, was COM
plimentary and encouraging about
my age and lnfrmiries, and went so
far as to wonder if lhadn'L been
rather pretty when was young.
That night, as Ailsie was brushing
my rebellious locks. ventured on a
third inquiry. ''Ailsie, DEAR" I said
in wheedling accents, twas ever at
all nice looking when was young?''
when you was what, my dearie?"
Young Ailsle, young"
well, !" answered the dear old
thing, poising the brush in the air,
..It's SO long ago, you see, Miss Han
nah; you can't expect me to throw
my mem:ry back 90 far
'Ah, don't tease me, Ailsie; rea lily
want to know, pleaded.
Well, then, my dear, you was, and
what 9 more, you are; and that's the